All of the criticisms directed at Mira are valid, and I agree with them, but as a person who grew up in a traditional Asian family in Canada, I do have sympathy for her situation. I was brought up to believe that I was merely an extension of the family unit, not an individual person. Since my actions reflected on everyone else, it was my duty to conform to WHATEVER my elders expected or demanded of me, otherwise I would suffer greatly for my disobedience and for making the family look "bad". I was always forced to put their wishes above mine (actually, I wasn't even allowed to have any).
It was only after I almost completely self-destructed a couple of years ago that I realized that having others control every aspect of my life was no longer acceptable. No one should be ashamed of their heritage, but for the sake of my survival, I've rejected my parents' culture and I've fully re-embraced my Canadian identity. (I used to be very Canadian as a tween, but it was "beaten" out of me. ) I'm slowly trying to cut the threads, but I don't deny that there are times when I still feel like my family's property instead of a human being.
So as much as it hurts me to see Mira's skating career sinking down the drain, I can totally understand why letting go of her mother is extremely difficult. I suspect deep down she probably wants to, but she simply doesn't know how. It's very easy for a Westerner to say that Mira should take matters in to her own hands because most Westerners are raised to be independent. From an Asian mindset, she's not a separate entity from her mother. If you take away the person who defines your entire existence, what is there left? As painful and frustrating as it is to have someone else dictate your life, the fear of not knowing if there even is a "self" without that omnipresent figure can be VERY paralyzing.
Thank you for sharing siberia.